News of Euron Greyjoy’s attack on the Shield Islands reaches King’s Landing. Cersei and Margaery disagree about how to respond, with the latter seeing it as an urgent priority, given that her family’s home city of Highgarden is now threatened. Ser Loras, Margaery’s brother, offers to take the besieged island of Dragonstone, home to Stannis Baratheon who has still not surrendered to the Lannisters. This will be quicker than a blockade and will allow ships to be freed to fight Euron’s forces. However, it is also more dangerous. Cersei agrees to the proposal to potentially rid herself of another influential Tyrell in Ser Loras.

Near the besieged Riverrun, Jaime meets with another cousin of his, Ser Daven. He explains that the castle is held by a stubborn lord known as “the Blackfish.” The Blackfish “has enough stores to keep man and horse alive for two full years” (555), having taken all the food from the surrounding countryside. As such, the Lannister army cannot starve the castle into submission. On the other hand, a frontal assault would be very bloody. To resolve this impasse, Jaime plans to meet with the Blackfish and offer him generous terms for surrendering.